


The Ass and the Fox

by gardnerhill



Category: Fables - Aesop, Greek and Roman Mythology, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Community: watsons_woes, Fables - Freeform, Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 18:22:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11514903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gardnerhill/pseuds/gardnerhill
Summary: A retelling of one of the Canon stories. See if you can guess which one.





	The Ass and the Fox

**Author's Note:**

> For the 2017 July Watson's Woes Promptfest prompt #15, **Blood on the Snow**. Many fairy tales have their roots in horror stories. Others are bright and shiny and sparkly by design. Use a fairy tale or horror story as the inspiration for today's entry.

Jove appointed a red-roan Ass to guard a tree laden with golden apples, to see that none could take the precious fruit. A passing Fox saw the apples and his mouth watered, but seeing the sharp hooves of the Ass he knew he could not take them by force. Knowing how dull-witted the Ass was, the Fox approached him with honeyed words: “My dear Ass, how splendid you look! Why, your red hair makes you look like one of the fiery horses that pull Apollo’s chariot! Indeed, I think you might even be a little faster than they are! Such a splendid creature must be able to gallop to that far oak-tree and back in the blink of an eye!” The Ass, pleased by the flattery, promptly set off at his fastest gallop to the distant tree. The moment the foolish creature was gone the Fox sprang onto the nearest branch, where he was seized immediately by a Hawk, who held the helpless creature pinned until an Owl flew to meet them. “My friend the Hawk saw you approach the Ass from our perch on the oak,” said the Owl. “I deduced what your plan was; I sent the Hawk, who is faster than all of us, to catch you. It’s no use.” And the Owl and the Hawk tore the Fox to pieces.

_Moral: Don’t even try to pull one over on Sherlock Holmes._   


**Author's Note:**

> My last foray in this 7/26/2014 prompt was [Iron John](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2029584).


End file.
